HBO for the fourth year in a row drew top honors for NAMIC’s 26th annual Vision Awards, the diversity organization announced Wednesday morning.

HBO won four Vision Awards to top all networks, with NBC following a close second with three wins. The Vision Awards honor programming that reflects the lives, spirit and contributions of people of color that mirror the diverse composition of the viewing audience.

CBS All Access’ Twilight Zone reboot hosted by Jordan Peele (pictured) was the top choice in the Best Performance, Drama category, while HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show won top honors for Best Performance, Comedy, said NAMIC. Overall NAMIC announced a total of 17 Vision Awards for networks and distributors this year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how much our nation relies on broadcast and cable programmers and storytellers to educate, entertain, and enrich our communities,” said NAMIC President and CEO A. Shuanise Washington. “Today, we not only are honoring winners of the Vision Awards but also are offering our deepest appreciation for the vital service they provide.”

The complete list of Vision Awards winners are listed below:

Animation

Elena of Avalor – Disney Junior

Awards & Honors

2019 Black Girls Rock! – BET Networks

Best Performance – Comedy

Kal Penn: Sunnyside – NBC

Best Performance – Drama

Brian Tee: Chicago Med – NBC

Children’s

Sesame Street 50th Anniversary Special – HBO

Comedy

A Black Lady Sketch Show – HBO

Digital Media – Short Form

Voices of the Civil Rights Movement – Confronting America’s Broken Promise – Comcast | NBCUniversal

Documentary

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality – HBO

Drama

The Twilight Zone – CBS All Access

Foreign Language

Caravanas – Discovery Network Latin America

Lifestyle

No Passport Required – PBS

News/Informational

Life Inside: Angola – Dateline

Original Movie or Special

I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story – Lifetime

Reality

Made from Scratch – Fuse

Reality – Social Issues

Unapologetic – ESPN

Sports

The Shop: Uninterrupted – HBO

Variety/Talk Show

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons -- ABC

HBO took home the most 2019 NAMIC Vision Awards, which were announced Tuesday during the Multicultural TV Summit in New York.

HBO won four Vision Awards, including best comedy for its Issa Rae-led comedy Insecure, according to NAMIC. NBC Asian American won three awards, while ESPN garnered two Vision Awards, which recognize original programming that reflects the lives, spirit and contributions of people of color and represents ethnic and cultural diversity of the viewing audience, said the diversity organization.

The awards were announced during a luncheon event at the Multicultural TV Summit in New York -- hosted by Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable -- which explores the business of reaching diverse audiences for TV and video.

The 2019 NAMIC Vision Awards winners are as follows:

Animation 

Disney Junior – Elena of Avalor

Awards & Honors

BET Networks – 2018 Soul Train Awards

Best Performance – Comedy

HBO – Dwayne Johnson: Ballers

Best Performance – Drama

TV One – Meta Golding: Behind the Movement

Children’s

HBO – Sesame Street

Comedy

HBO – Insecure

Digital Media – Long Form

NBC Asian America – Searching for Queer Asian Pacific America

Digital Media – Short Form

CNN – 25 Influential American Muslims

Documentary

Paramount Network – Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story

Drama

Showtime – The Chi

Lifestyle

NBC Asian America – Open the Pantry

News/Informational

National Geographic – America Inside Out with Katie Couric

Original Movie or Special

HBO – Icebox

Reality

FUSE – T-Pain’s School of Business

Reality – Social Issues

ESPN – ESPN Features – SC Featured: The Black 14

Sports

ESPN – ESPN Features – SC Featured: Bubba

Variety/Talk Show

NBC Asian America – Break Shot with Will Choi

For 22 years, NAMIC — the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications — has recognized outstanding television and digital content about the lives and contributions of people of color through its Vision Awards. Amid controversies such as the lack of diversity among the major Oscar nominees earlier this year, NAMIC has chosen winners in 18 different categories from more than 83 nominations across 29 networks and distributors, representing the best in diversity-themed television programming.

NAMIC CEO Eglon Simons spoke with Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about this year’s Vision Awards honorees and the importance of celebrating the achievements of people of color both in front of and behind the camera — especially in an era with unprecedented amounts of content tailored to multicultural viewers. Here’s an edited excerpt of their conversation.

RELATED:And the Honorees Are...: 2016's Vision Award Winners

MCN:How would you define the Vision Awards?

Eglon Simons: The intent of the Vision Awards, which were created in association with NAMIC’s Southern California chapter, is to highlight individuals who have created quality and entertaining multicultural-themed product that may or may not have been recognized by other entertainment-based awards shows. The Vision Awards are even more timely this year, because it allows us the opportunity to fill the gap that the some other well-known awards shows have not been filling lately.

MCN:How important is NAMIC’s focus on multicultural-themed content through the Vision Awards, particularly given the fact that we’re seeing more shows featuring actors of color in prominent roles on television?

ES: I think what’s important about the Vision Awards is that it talks about shows and themes that don’t always find their way to the big networks, so the Vision Awards allows submissions of content that captures the multicultural nature of stories that don’t always gain exposure. With increased distribution of content across multiple platforms providing more ways for people to see content, it’s often difficult to recognize it all. The Vision Awards also provides a venue to encourage more creativity … when people know that there is a forum out there that will recognize their creativity, I think that’s encouraging.

MCN:Given how many over-the-top, online streaming services now offer original content, how inclusive of digital media is NAMIC with regard to its Vision Awards nominations and winners?

ES: When you think about the fact that people can produce content on their phones and upload it to YouTube, it allows a venue to be creative, and we provide a forum for that content to be recognized. To the extent that we can provide a wider reach into the entertainment community, we can offer viewers more awareness and exposure of the shows and content that they want to see. It’s just beneficial for all involved.

MCN:Do you foresee the Vision Awards eventually moving to a big-event ceremony in the future?

ES: I would hope so. The cable and communications industry is going so through such a sea change right now. I can remember when I first started in the television industry, any television show that generated below a 25 share wouldn’t survive. Now, when you look at shares and ratings points, a 1.5 share is big stuff for many networks. I say all of that to say that the measuring points are different than they once were.

Given that there is such an exciting array of entertainment and creativity available, at some point it may substantiate a bigger platform such as a gala to recognize the quality of multicultural content in the marketplace. There will always be a need to celebrate diversity both on the screen and off the screen.

Disney Channel’s comedy series A.N.T. Farm  was among the big winners of NAMIC’s annual Vision Awards, the diversity organization announced Wednesday.

A.N.T. Farm, which chronicles the exploits of kids attending an exceptional high school, won two Vision Awards, including Best Children’s show and a Best Comedy performance award for series star China Anne McClain. Overall, Disney was one of several networks garnering multiple 2014 Vision Awards, which recognizes achievements in multiethnic and cross-cultural television programming that best reflects the diversity of the global viewing audience.

ABC’s Scandal was the big winner in the Drama category, while Jeffrey Wright walked away with a Best Performance in a Drama award for his work in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

The winners were announced via online, and all winning programs will be showcased via the 2014 NAMIC Vision Awards Winners Gallery, according to NAMIC.

The complete winners list for the 2014 NAMIC Vision Awards are as follows:

Animation

Doc McStuffins – Disney Junior

Awards and Honors

2013 HALO Awards – Nickelodeon

Children’s

A.N.T. Farm – Disney Channel

Comedy

Instant Mom – Nick@Nite

Best Performance – Comedy

China Anne McClain: A.N.T. Farm – Disney Channel

Digital Media – Short Form

East Los High – Hulu

Documentary

Girl Rising – CNN

Drama

Scandal –ABC

Best Performance Drama

Jeffrey Wright: Boardwalk Empire – HBO

Foreign Language

Triquis – ESPN Deportes

Lifestyle

Leading Women: Helene Gayle, CEO Care USA – CNN

News/Informational

America Tonight: The Other America – Al Jazeera America

Original Movie Or Special

CNN Special Projects: Power Of She – HLN

Reality

Six Little McGhees – OWN

Reality – Social Issues

Urban Dove Team – ESPN

Sports

Richie Parker: Drive – ESPN

Variety/Talk Show (tie)

Oprah’s Next Chaper – OWN/Harpo Studios

Real Time With Bill Maher – HBO